Course Details for A.Y. 2018/2019

The information on this page refer to the academic year 2018/2019.
Therefore, several links are not available and data may be incomplete.
To read the current information on the course, if it is still available, go to the university course catalogue .
To read information relating other academic years, use the list at the bottom of this page.

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Course Objectives

The main objective of this course is to allow students to understand the process of digital transformation of the international economy and its impact on welfare, growth and income distribution. The first section of the course will survey the determinants and the effects of innovation in open economic system. The second section will be devoted to an analysis of the specific features of the digital transformation of the economy, in comparison with previous waves of innovation.
The final section of the course will discuss the role of industrial policies in promoting digital innovation.
Particular attention will be given to the digital innovation strategies of firms, in the context of recent changes in the organization of world production.
The illustration of the theoretical aspects will be based on the presentation of the available evidence, with particular reference to Italian firms.

Course Content

The economic theory of innovation and growth: an overview

Globalization and the digital transformation of economic systems: an overview

Technical engines of digital innovation

International channels of digital innovation diffusion

Strategies for digital innovation at the firm level

Industrial policies and digital innovation

Learning Outcomes (Dublin Descriptors)

On successful completion of this course, the student should

The learning outcomes are improvements in the ability to critically analyze, with the help of economic theories, the themes of the course.
On successful completion of this module, the student should

have knowledge and understanding of the main economic effects of digital transformation on economic welfare, income distribution and growth

have knowledge and understanding of the main determinants of firms’ strategies for digital innovation in an open economic context

have knowledge and understanding of the role of industrial policies for the digital transformation of the economy

demonstrate capacity for reading and understand other texts on related topics.

Prerequisites and Learning Activities

The student must know the basic concepts of micro-economics. Learning activities imply the use of elementary statistics to analyze data on digital innovation in the context of the international economy.

Assessment Methods and Criteria

Project work: country report based on the analysis of statistics on the digital economy
Compulsory written exam (three essay questions, 90 minutes)
Students may ask to give an additional oral exam:
-The oral exam will be only about the weakest parts of the written exam
-The written exam grade can be changed up to a maximum of 2 points

Course page updates

This course page is available (with possible updates) also for the following academic years: